One such find came to light at Aigai, near ancient Sardes in Turkey. It was buried in a hollow bedrock, apparently after being used only once for a special ritual some 2,200 years ago.

Aigai belongs to the area of Aeolia on the western coast of Asia Minor, which according to the legend was founded by Agamemnon. The city has been mentioned by Herodotus but had no great power till it fell under the rule of the Attalids of Pergamon in the second century BC when it was entirely rebuilt. After being badly hit by the great earthquake of 17 AD, it luckily recovered and enjoyed more years of prosperity. It seems that Aigai’s layout closely resembles that of Pergamon, which is not surprising based on its historical background.

The dinner set, now exhibited at the Museum of Manisa, includes cooking pots, cups and pitchers, as well as a number of figurines representing gods and goddesses. The artifacts were found inside the Parliament of Aigai, which dates from around 150 BC and archaeologists think that they belonged to certain ceremonies.

About Me

Alexander the Great always fascinated me, even as a teenager. I don’t remember exactly how or where it started, but the Alexander-figure stayed with me all my life.
Of course, there were ups and downs, times that I was more actively involved and times I was not, but the last decennia he became very much alive again. In less happy times, Alexander is always a comfort to me; in other days he is a challenge I like to meet.
Through the years, however, he remains highly fascinating and I always am out to learn more about his personality, his campaigns, his generalship and kingship but also about the impact he and his conquests had and still have on our world as it is today.
More than anyone else he deserves to be called “the Great”!